There are Bloggers, and Then, There are Paleo Bloggers

...I am getting the feeling that these lastest comments and walls being raised by many friends of yours is taking its toll. Funny how you like to tear down walls, and unexpectedly (at least for me) many walls seem to be being built. Maybe I am wrong though, it just feels like that. I remember once you wrote sometime or other about Art Devany is going to be left behind if he does not ...keep up? (Something like that you wrote) I think many of the pillar bloggers may be feeling the same. I don't know shit about Jack Kruse. I like his free thinking. I just started looking at his blog since your post. It is exciting. I am reading his comment section with much interest. It reminds me of this "Paleo/Primal" thing back in 2009. It was exciting as hell then. Now....not as much. My only point in sending you this is to say hang in there. You are one of the good ones.

My reply, in comments:

My advantage is that I already blogged almost every day a full 4 years before I uttered a word about Paleo. So I guess I'm a blogger who's Paleo, not a Paleo blogger. Laf. Thanks for making me come up with that.

They will all go the wayside before me, though I might take my retreats now and then.

And that's the goddamn truth. I'm a blogger first, Paleo second, and I guess I finally came up with probably the one single thing that sets me apart from...pretty much everyone else in the Paleosphere in terms of those who blog Paleo predominately or exclusively. At least, I'm not aware of anyone else but me who's been pumping out an average of a post per weekday since 2003.

Paleo hasn't jumped the shark or anything, in my view. But perhaps blogging about it has, to a degree. I mean, how many times can one come up with different ways of writing that the cholesterol con is a con, the saturated fat con is a con, the vegetarian and vegan con is a con, et al and et al?

But, dammit, I love blogging and I love blogging more than I love Paleo. I guess...it's possible that I could be a fat blogger or an average body comp blogger, but I'd still be a blogger.

So? What? Well, I guess it means that rather than blog about only Paleo stuff most of the time, with wider spaces between posts, I'm just going to have to go to some hybrid of Depesche Mode, with fashion being paleo...and do it faster than once or twice per week.

The truth is, I really don't like limitations and it's been a long while that I've been growing a resentment about being a "Paleo blogger," such that when I do indulge myself in writing of other things that interest me, and that might happen to rub a few the wrong way who otherwise like the blog, I get the pushback in various ways. ...As though I have some duty or obligation to blog for the audience rather than just blog, getting whatever audience I deserve for it.

So fuck that. I'm ignoring it from here out. I've blogged long enough, and 3,000 posts and I can blog about what the hell I want to blog about; and if you ask me, widening the topical matter will only be to the good. And since the blog is highly visited, it might actually bring smart people into the fray...because we want all the morons to Go Vegan!

Ha, and we're in an erection year. That's when even women get hard-ons for who's going to be their next ruler. I always loved erection years. I mean, back in 2007, it was easy to write a post entitled Fuck Obama and His Stupid Bitch. Now, not so much. And what a target rich environment to have Newt Gingrich in the race, that loathsome fucktard who, when Bill "that lying bastard" Clinton sent him to the back of Air Force Bus One and he wined about being dissed, should have just retired and spared us from any further shenanigans and outbursts forever. I'm sure he'd make a fine middle school history teacher. Peter Principle got pwned, there. And holy shit. I've missed the whole opportunity to make fun of Rick "smegma-santorum" Santorum. He's outta there, before I even got the chance. Romney? Oh, I did deal with him last time in a few posts, but my favorite was entitled Moronism (get it?). I also dealt with Democrats as liars, and Republicans as frauds in pretty long posts, but my archive does not seem to be super well indexed by Goolge back in 2004 and I don't want to go page by page. Instead, I'll just say that to all you hand clappers, Ron Paul and his son should go seek honest work, like they used to do.

So there, I think that covers all sides of all isles and "independents" and "libertarians" too. I have no use for anyone who seeks rulership. Ever. Good intentions mean fuck-all to me. So fuck Ron Paul, too. I'd absolutely hire him as my personal physician, though.

...So to sum it up fuck all of that shit: wall to wall, floor to ceiling....voluminously.

I'm going to be a better Paleo blogger by being a plain old better blogger, from here out. Paleo has become way, way too limiting for me.

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“It’s not seriously boring. It’s seriously _fucking_ boring, and yet we live in a society that’s voracious for it. That the funny angle.”

That’s because politicians made sure they interfere in every single aspect of our lives. Even with seemingly innocuous things like nutrition you’ll run into the government regulations and “guidelines” (aka big Pharma and big Farma promos). School lunches, farm raids, grain subsidies, you just can’t completely avoid politics even if you’d want to.

I don’t know if there ever was a population as unfree, sick and brainwashed as we are (Egyptians or Roman colonies, maybe? But at least they were honest and didn’t pretend slavery was anything else).

Boring? What about this blog comment (on another site) I just read about U.S. bureaucrats having fun?

“It’s a government agency party! The CIA brings the drugs. The SS brings the prostitutes. The TSA is the creepy weirdo copping a feel and secretly taking pictures of all the women. The ATF brings his heavily armed Mexican buddy. The GSA books the hotel room in Vegas. The Fed flies its party-copter overhead, throwing out handfuls of cash.”

My thoughts on Ron Paul are this: I agree, he’d be a great guy if he were just being a doctor. The problem is I truly see a day when you yourself will be thrown in jail for the things you say on this blog. Ron Paul has started a political movement which may well stem the oncoming tide of Totalitarianism which makes your life impossible to live the way you do now, unless you have a plan and know of some place that won’t be effected by a Corporate Banking Oligarchy with the name USA or UN written on it. At that point, you become fully the slave, or you die fighting it.

There is a real chance to tear down the systems that daily seem to try to choke the individuality out of this country, and many other areas of opportunity, with as little premature death as possible. And this is why I hope the Paul family stays in politics. Someone has to be a standard barer to lead the sheep away from the pens once the fence is broke, and the Paul family is currently in a great position to keep the masses who never question authority, let alone why the concept of authority exists, from bunching up inside the pen while those who think for themselves are loaded up and hauled away.

I would hazard to say that as far as things have gone, as many laws are on the books, and as many regulations that various bureaus are churning out on a daily basis, that there isn’t anything now stopping the political machine from sucking up all the unemployed willing to just follow orders, and start a New Order, New Way, New “Fucking You And Brainwashing You to Like It” at the drop of a useful emergency.

Obviously, I have hope that it doesn’t come to pass, but too much has been built up for the wrong charismatic leader to take advantage.

Oh don’t get me wrong, I have very little faith in it actually working. The hope keeps me from building a bunker in the hills though, haha. I’m a type that just wants to innovate, create, and enjoy the fruits of that creation. I may end up in East Asia somewhere doing it, but I’ll do what I have to do in order to create amazing things.

So, you like Ron Paul and what he stands for, but don’t think he will succeed in the long run? Sure, I like some of the things he stands for and purposes, but realize there is no way in hell most of it going to come about due to the entrenched interests (short of nuking DC while congress and most of the lobbyists are there; which again, don’t see happening, period, end of story).

In mean time, why really concern yourself with what is going on there? Why not try to live life like you want to?

Jeremy,
The powers that be know that only about 2-3% of the population are smart enough to take Richard seriously. They know the rest of the population is brainwashed, and they don’t care about the 2-3% that know what’s going on.

Are we going to overthrow anything? No, absolutely not.

We’re just going to sit and watch all the other sheep live as brainwashed slaves for a banking oligarchy. But it’s the brainwashed slaves choice to live their lives as working joes, sucking down fructose and gluten.

They are not interested in censoring Richard, or preventing him from saying anything. We are all free, but only if we see through the bullshit. But the powers that be know how to make free-thinkers, like Richard, look like lunatics, and the rest of the sheep follow suit in believing so.

They have no interest in trying to dominate every single soul on the planet, especially by force. 1984 is not their style. All these souls choose to be dominated, and a rare few choose not to be dominated. You and I have chosen not to be dominated. We see through the bullshit, we can save those we love through information and abolition of willful ignorance, but the masses will remain willful ignorant slaves.

The powers that be have found the ultimate form of slavery. Those that chose to be slaves, and make it their most meaningful purpose in life to be slaves. Just as an example, I really believe that is what the feminist movement was all about. Convince women to think their lives will be more meaningful if they sell their labor to a corporation, to be the donkey chasing the carrot, rather than raising their offspring, their own flesh and blood, and caring for their mate. It is very sad when I think about it.

I think you’re right on the money. All this 1984 and conspiracy crap actually serve to work against real freedom because people look around and conclude that it’s not anything like 1984, so let’s go get another Cinnabon.

I agree that we don’t need nearly as much organized “leadership” as we do. What I’m less sure about is how to make this change come about. I think the solution would involve breaking down the mechanisms that allow (and encourage) power to accumulate in the hands of a few.

Anyway, keep ranting about stuff! It’s always interesting even when I don’t agree.

No way, and especially not voting or democracy. Conversely, we do enjoy a moment in history where you can engineer your own freedom in an unfree world, because it’s not stiflingly unfree. Maybe in a hundred thousand to a million years, the value of real freedom and minding your own fucking business and not spending your life agitating to live at the expense of other people and dispensing with the idea of a safety net at the expense of others will become common hman traits.

But it ain’t happening in our lifetimes, so best to ignore as much as you can and live as best as you can.

Dear Sean (or is it Shane?) – half the reason I come to this blog is to read comments like this. Ah, comedic relief!

Richard – my humble request is that please continue to blog about n=1’s you do. I think, out of the multitudes of Paleo blog posts out there, those on self-experimentation are the most interesting and helpful (I might just be an unscientific, moronic, ignorant cunt, though – wink). Outside of that, I’m psyched you will be writing about all ranges of topics that get your rocks off (and not giving a fuck about what your audience necessarily wants to read) … I believe that’s the MO of most great writers.

I’ve never been particularly interested in politics, but it was really this election cycle and looking at the candidates and the general situation of the political arena that finally led me to conclude that there is no hope in it.

Richard, I’ve been a regular (although mostly lurking) reader of yours since 2003 or so and will continue to be regardless of subject matter. I came for the social/political commentary and stayed for the “paleo” and found value in it all. I dunno man, I guess I just like your style.

Richard, if he got elected, he’d slash 1 trillion off the budget, end the foreign wars, put a halt on the printing presses, end the drug war, make libertarian philosophy mainstream. I don’t disagree with you, but some perspective. If doesn’t get elected, the current trajectory is terrifying.

The very best you could hope for with a Paul presidency is some form of gridlock where he simply doesn’t sign any legislation (gridlock is good, such as it is). Imagining he could get rid of the Fed, or do any of the other enormous budgetary and program cuts is just pure fantasy, even if he was elected, which he’s not anyway and never will be.

And I predict neither will his son. We’ll all be Western Europe, eventually.

I think Reagan and Paul are quite different and to lump them together would be a stretch. Paul’s entire existence is minted in austrian economics, his philosophy rooted in Rothbard and Mises.. “radicals” by intellectuals.

He’s got a photo of Grover Cleveland in his office, the veto god. He can’t be bought, he won’t bend and he won’t dilute his message.

I agree. Paul was a congressman during the Reagan years and opposed the big-spending and ultra war hawkishness back then. He’s always been consistent. On the other hand, I have to agree with Richard to a point. I can’t imagine Paul doing more than a few good things and a decent amount of vetos. His biggest and boldest ideas won’t get any support from the Congress or Senate, unfortunately. Real change can only come from bottom up (i.e., a bunch of Paul types winning local elections–not likely at all) or a forced reset in some major crisis (much more likely, unfortunately).

ICG: Ron Paulians are taking over the GOP at the local level across the country. It has not been easy, the establishment is fighting them tooth and nail. But there are a lot of encouraging victories Colorado, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, Nevada..

Richard: No, but I can imagine what you’re trying to infer. How about I throw you a question. Have you seen Ron Paul’s voting record for 30 years? He won’t even give Rosa Parks a gold medal with taxpayer money, in the heart of Washington, corruption central. No, again I’d say you can’t equate Reagan and Paul.

C’mon, even Ron Paul admits that the chairman of the Federal Reserve has more power than the president. No matter how honest Ron is, do you really think he’s going to make a dent in the American (not to mention world’s) bureaucracy? Even Jefferson couldn’t do much in the end, and that was when the federal government was way smaller.

SOPA was beaten because of a mass outcry. Ron Paul got a partial audit of the federal reserve.. The only reason any of us are even talking about it is because of his efforts. Lots of republicans now are using his ideas and language. We call it “Ron Pauling”, when someone steals one of his ideas and runs with it.

Establishment republicans are running scared and emailing each other desperate memos to stop local RP activitists at county elections. The Federal Reserve is making more and more statements.. I believe it’s as a reaction to RP.

But, been there, done that. First Reagan, then the ’92 sweep and the Contract with America.

Life’s too short. When I asked your age it was not to discount your arguments or introduce a fallacy. It was only to get some insight into your potential level of dissapointment. You’re young and it’s good to be an optimist. I was born in ’61 and my bet is that it won’t take you near another 24 years to get to where I’m at.

He’s growing a movement of like-minded followers.. people who are just as consistent as he is. He’s even said that the movement is bigger than him now.

And apathy is dangerous (sorry, Carlin). While we sit around ignoring the political process, the bad guys win more power and use the boot of the government to step on you. No, you HAVE to be a part of the process.

“I don’t think you understand. I want for the absolute and total _collapse_ of government at the Fed, State, local level. And let the chips fall where they may. I’ll take my chances.”

It’s so refreshing to meet someone with the same views. I actually stopped identifying myself with the libertarians because they’re way too many of them who believe in the limited government nonsense. I’m a free market anarchist, plain and simple.

Except I would put emphasis on the “global” government. Just as the master of the British Empire predicted in 19th century, national states don’t matter much anymore, even the US president is little more than a figurehead. National/local governments have been more or less supplanted by various supra-governmental organizations (UN, EU, NATO, NAFTA, world bank, global corporations, you name it). And they’re run by people that are not even elected by anyone! That’s why it cracks me up when someone starts talking about choosing their leaders. Democratic process, my ass. Most people don’t realize that even the founders of the US believed in democracy.

“I want for more regulation on business, more taxes, more power because I want it to collapse faster. I wish there was someone even more commie than Obama running.”

I’ve recently realized that I actually want a universal health care. It’s gonna go bankrupt thus forcing the population to take their health into their own hands and stop trusting government/big pharma BS.

The idea of working with thieving oppressors to try and persuade them to steal and opress less, over fear of having whose thieves and oppressors strikes me as pretty damn absurd. Voting only sanctions their position, power and authority of everyone’s lives.

Not necessarily. After collapse of the Western Roman Empire there wasn’t a long term centralized government for many centuries.

However, I don’t think there was ever a case in history where a single man (or even a group of people) changed a system from inside. At best, there would be a temporary loosening of government control over say, religious expression, but it wouldn’t change the fundamental nature of the government.

To use an example from one of my favorite books: you can’t use a Ring of power – even with good intentions – without becoming the Dark Lord, it’s better to destroy it completely.

Sorry, but I get annoyed by people going into diatribes about the US’s “oppressive regimes” and “stealing from the people”. Ask them to move to a place with little or no government, they STFU or deflect 100% of the time.

The US government ain’t perfect. Not saying it is. But there’s a way to argue that position than with mindless rants.

I personally agree with the statement. Have a problem with this country? Don’t like the channels you have to change things? Then GTFO. (But notice how few actually GTFO. There’s a lot of Alec Baldwins out there…)

I GTFO 15 years ago and I think it is an idiotic statement. The country you live in is not an abusive spouse–even if it acts like one. Whether or not one chooses to partake in the democratic process, democracy is not the goal. This is something that the left is especially blind to. Democracy is not the solution, the solution is to be able to live with one’s natural right’s. The right to engage in voluntary trade, whether that involves heroin or sex or sugar. The right to do whatever one wants as long as they aren’t fucking with someone else. That’s the solution.

Whether or not that solution is attainable, and how it would be attainable is a different issue altogether. Just because it doesn’t exist anywhere on the planet has nothing to do with it. An ideal point, line, plane, etc, doesn’t exist either. That doesn’t mean Euclidean geometry isn’t extremely useful. For that matter do whole numbers even exist in the real world?

I’ll have no part in it, ever. Instead, I will always encourage others to become part of the non-voting majority. With any luck, politicians will have to someday contend with the implications of voter turnout less than 20-30%, especially as Internet and socially savvy young people come to realize it for the scam that it is.

I’d be all for voting, so long as only the voters were affected and any election that wasn’t 100% unanimous was tossed put as invalid, since no person or group ever has a right to impose their will on others.

America is not Communist and I’ve never claimed it was. I use the word “commie” in an inflammatory way and everyone ought to understand the distinction between America and the USSR. Between Obama and Stalin.

America, however, is socialist, and increasingly so.

You pretend as though I really don’t care, which is false, or you pretend that there are not other values I simply am not willing to give up, such as family, friends, and other ties.

What would you put up with to keep your highest values?

What you’re missing is that this _is_ the crux of the matter, at root. They use what you love against you.

“You pretend as though I really don’t care, which is false, or you pretend that there are not other values I simply am not willing to give up, such as family, friends, and other ties….”

The liberal media has told me that people in other countries sacrifice all of those things to get *into* America. The liberal media also claims that some people even die leaving their countries to get to America.

Many of those people fleeing their countries also complained about the oppressive Communist thieves who steal from their citizens.

So I can’t assume what you do or don’t place at a higher value than your residency here.

“The liberal media has told me that people in other countries sacrifice all of those things to get *into* America. The liberal media also claims that some people even die leaving their countries to get to America.”

Non sequitur. Those people aren’t me. And in case you haven’t noticed, _most_ people in the world actually _don’t_ want to move to or live in America. By far, most. They put up with the regimes they’re subject to for largely the same reasons I do.

“Non sequitur. Those people aren’t me. And in case you haven’t noticed, _most_ people in the world actually _don’t_ want to move to or live in America. By far, most. They put up with the regimes they’re subject to for largely the same reasons I do.”

Non sequitur? I’m simply trying to compare your experience under an oppressive socialist regime that steals from its citizens to others who claim to live under oppressive socialist regimes that steal from their citizens.

These people are willing to sacrifice everything to better their situation. Kinda makes your talk seem a little weak in comparison.

As you said, most people don’t try to move to America. But millions certainly try (legally or not) and thousands have died over the years in the attempt.

Funny thing though – you never hear about people dying trying to leave.

“These people are willing to sacrifice everything to better their situation. Kinda makes your talk seem a little weak in comparison.”

Yea yea, I know. This isn’t Somalia.

Do you actually have a new fucking argument or are you going to continue wasting my time by asserting that I’m the luckiest guy in town, far better off than many or most, and ought to just shut up and act like a little stupid lamb like you.

“Do you actually have a new fucking argument or are you going to continue wasting my time by asserting that I’m the luckiest guy in town, far better off than many or most, and ought to just shut up and act like a little stupid lamb like you.”

I’m not trying to argue anything. I’m trying to understand why you choose freely to live under this oppressive socialist thieving regime when so many others have sacrificed everything to escape oppressive socialist thieving regimes.

I’m starting to think maybe things are not nearly as bad as you make them out to be.

First, you’re making the first logical misdirection that politicians love: a country is its government and political system. That leads to the ridiculous argument that if you don’t like your government or political system, then you don’t like your country. Nations are human abstracts that do not exist in reality. If you don’t believe me, take an international flight and look for the lines you see on a map. This is my home, regardless of who has been placed in charge of the civilization that sits on top of it. It’s a bit like the Europeans invading the land the Native Americans were living on, declaring it part of (England, France, Spain, U.S., or whoever has the most guns at the time) and saying, “If you don’t like it, leave.”

The difference in this case is that the invasion into every aspect of our lives wasn’t carried out blatantly, because the citizens outnumber the zookeepers. Instead, the keepers worked over time to convince the masses to vote for an invasion, one issue or politician at a time. Now I’m being told on one hand that if I don’t like the civilization the invaders have set up, I should leave; on the other hand, I’m being told that if I don’t help elect new zookeepers, I’m part of the problem, and can’t complain about them. I love my country (my home) and I hate what the government (propped up through elections) is doing to it. Therefore, I’m the problem and should leave.

The question at that point is: go where? To stay in the geographical region that is my home, I would have to go out into the wilderness to escape the civilization that the zoo animals have voted for. Ted Kaczynski tried that and he ended up blowing people up out of frustration because civilization kept invading him anyway. I don’t condone the methods but I can understand the sentiment.

I could move to another developed country. If you can point one out that is working at becoming less socialistic, I may look into it, but I am not aware of any. Also, there are usually immigration restrictions for which I may not qualify – the good places like to keep the populations down. A less developed country? As you point out, the problem is the people, not the location. Trading in mobsters posing as “public servants” for warlords is not an upgrade.

So, you say, that is the point. Our government may be shit, but it’s the best shit out there. You may enjoy indulging in shit, but I don’t – even if it’s the most aromatic around. Sure we’re living in a zoo, and sure it’s getting more and more restrictive every day, but it’s still a really nice zoo (for now). More importantly, it’s better than the others. That’s your argument?

Let’s say I become a political prisoner someday – for instance, for posting on the internet that I can understand Kaczynski’s sentiment without condoning his actions – and let’s say I’m lucky enough to be placed in one of those “swank” federal prisons reserved for white collar criminals. Should I not complain about the prison or even about being in prison because it’s better than those that muggers and rapists go to? Should I focus on how much better off I am than political prisoners in other countries?

This is my home. I don’t plan on leaving. I’m not like Alec Baldwin and will not stupidly say I’ll leave based on the result of an election – and if I did, I’d follow through. The political process in this country (especially at the federal level) is a joke. I am not living my life based on what happens within it. In fact, I try my best to ignore it. The best I can do is live my life and pursue happiness to the best of my ability, within the parameters my keepers allow me, because real prison is worse (another reason not to complain – at least I’m not in prison!). Part of that pursuit of happiness includes ignoring, and abstaining from, the election of the next mob boss.

You didn’t address the possibility that common prisoners in common jails might risk life & limb for an upgrade to Club Fed. Ergo, you should be happy with Club Fed and if you’re not, how come you don’t just try for an exchange program?

“The guy doesn’t even have a concept of histor or culture and how certain governments come to be in the first place.”

I read somewhere that this government and political system (aka the US) came into place because the people hated the old government and political system (aka England).

Maybe I’m reading different history books from you guys who believe a country somehow isn’t its government and political systems. If you think that, I can understand your frustration since reality doesn’t and never has conformed to your imagination of what it “should” be.

“I read somewhere that this government and political system (aka the US) came into place because the people hated the old government and political system (aka England).”

And I read they were just fine while they had local semi-independence until England started tightening the reigns with all the unfair taxes and other crap. Of course then they had to come up with their own taxes, called themselves “states” and even got their own “king” (albeit they called him President and thought that a four year term somehow would make him more honest). By they way, they hated democracy and idealized the Roman Republic forgetting how that turned out.

In other words, they didn’t change much, they seceded. There was an attempt to repeat the feat a century later for pretty much the same reasons but it failed. After that, it was all over for America as at least relatively free country. But since the history is written by the winners and the mass media, most people seem to blame current state of affairs on Obama/Bush/Reagan/Nixon (or maybe Roosevelt if they’re somewhat smart).

I’m with you 100%, Richard. Years ago I realized that paying attention to politicts just made me angry. Every four years we watch the same cycle and nothing changes, except for the government granting themselves more power.

Like you, I chose to opt out. I refused to let the bureaucrats think that I believed that I was actually part of the process. They may not care — since they only care about people/issues that can maintain/increase their power — but my stress levels went down.

Keep poking fun and pointing out how ridiculous the whole thing is. I like your style. Being apathetic about politcs is much like being an atheist — watching everyone around you going to the polls like “Christmas and Easter Christians” showing their faith. Any day now Jesus is going to come back and people are going to vote in the perfect system of government — that will give the government just enough power to force my agenda on others, but not enough to force theirs on me.

I’m suddenly reminded of the anti-war sentiment, which I will paraphrase: What if they held an election and nobody showed up?

There’s a problem, though. The people who get the most benefits (both the multi-generation welfare class and corporate welfare recipients who want gov’t favors) will ALWAYS show up…even if everyone else is fed up and has stopped caring.

You should see how things are here in Portugal, over 50% of the population doesn’t show up to vote. People don’t realize that people not voting is in and of itself a vote, a vote that says “Fuck you”.

With that said, in 2 years will the first election I will be able to vote (18 years old) and I will most likely vote blank as people consistently argue that non-voters are slackers and simply do not care about who rules the country for them. I do care, and I want none of them, therefore I’ll vote blank (a real option by the way, I don’t know how it is there).

Yea, politicians here are uniformly scared shitless of a “none of the above” option because in doing so, THAT would get out the vote. Hell, I might even vote just for shits & giggles, filling in an entire ballot with none of the above.

Of course, in most elections, if you consider the entire eligible population here in America, the non voters are the majority “vote” wen you count them up. Unless one candidate wins like 70%, then non voters outnumber the votes for Ny one candidate,

This is the course to take folks,

Wisdom from a 16-yr-old in Portugal. You thought you were so smart. The future is smarter.

How is your neck pain now Richard? Has it waxed and waned with the resentment? As one that had chronic lower back pain disappear after reading Sarno’s book only to have it mysteriously jump around (elbows, sternum, neck) and disappear again with no events or triggers to link it to, I have been looking forward to your final post.

In a nutshell, Sarno helped a great deal. It did take a while but the peak was at the beginning of Sarno’s book, but from that point it was lower highs and lower lows ofter some weeks. I did continue to have tingling in my right arm, hand thumb, and then that went away. Had a total relapse at the end of last June, and I almost ended up canceling my engagement at The 21 Convention. But it went away in a couple of weeks, so far never to return. Tingling gone too.

I’ve kept the gym work very very modest and conservative. And I think I’m going to be getting kelltlebells.

Just got out after 20m at about 54, and it was right after a 3 set each, 3 exercise Kettlebell workout in the backyard. Funny, yesterday I did an hour 20, the day before 15.. Seems like alternating days, for short & long. Also, 50 degrees is warmer than 60, but I’ll save that for the blog and give me guess as to why it feels that way.

I dont read your blog bc you have Paleo topics, I read it bc you are smart and I like your writing style. The only person I know of that posts as much as you do is Sisson. Again, I read his blog bc he is smart and has a great style. Kurt Harris is (was?) a pseudo paleo blogger and a fucking blowhard. I read some of his early work but when I realized he was an idiot, I stopped.
And for all you Ron Paul suck asses out there, he may have many correct (relative term!!!) ideas, he is ONE: naive as hell for thinking any of that shit will come to fruition without bloodshed, and TWO: while commendable as it may be to follow one’s ideals, I couldn’t stand the idea of wasting my whole life like that. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget (to your point, Richard) that ANY AND ALL politicians and authority figures are not “here for us”, they are here for power. Just remember that next time you go cast your ballot. We gave them all this power to own us and oppress us and if you think that isn’t happening or that it wont get worse then you deserve all that shit and you should probably just stay asleep. We dont need any more sheeple.

I don’t agree with your statement that Dr. Kurt Harris is an idiot. An arrogant sod, yes, but also a brilliant and original thinker. Since he isn’t blogging at the moment, I’d like to know if his posted Archevore Diet (last revised 9/13/2011) is still the diet that he believes in and follows? Can anyone answer that question for me? Thanks!

Kurt didn’t blog before. Instead, he spent about 30 years in medicine and given his history when he was blogging, I’m betting it was way better than the average care even if he had no idea of Paleo at the time.

I like Kurt, as all know. In fact, I stupidly called him at like 9pm my time, 11 pm his time—couple scotches in me—when I got pissed at him a while back over a comment.

But isn’t it enough that he puts himself in the comment fray now and then? After all, he does so knowing comments are not moderated here.

Have you considered that he just plain doesn’t have much of an interest in blogging? If that’s the case I get it, and so consider my post. I think Paleo blogging is pretty much a done deal except for… you now…but I’m interested in minds, and I have been a blogger long before paleo, so I will create a space for those who wish to explore wide avenues of all the implications.

Hi Richard,
Thanks for replying. My question is more of, is the Archevore Diet as currently posted still what Dr. Harris believes in? Since he occasionally chimes in on your blog, and as you have a personal relationship with him, I hoped that I could get an answer to that question here. No deeper agenda or implied commentary than that.

I’m firmly convicted Kurt has a real appreciatin for paleo generally stated, particularly as a proscriptive measure (NAD). But I also think that he, as I, simply looked at the isles in the supermarket and asked himself, is this REALLY about carbohydrate, OT is it about enticing rewarded marketing,

I like Kurt because he’s a smart fucker. And he’s never, nerver, anyone’s fool.

Anthony Colpo had an interesting take on Matesz. His diet changes along with his current wife/girlfriend. He stayed low-carb for so long to “try to save his marriage” and because of “professional interest” (i.e., it would look bad to switch back to high-carb so quickly). Now that his current wife is a vegan or almost vegan type, so is he.

I’m not a low-carber (though I benefit from reading some of them), so the fact that Matesz’ switched diets doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is how he spits out a bunch of academic studies and claims we should all just mindlessly follow the “consensus.” This is coming from a guy whose biggest claim to fame is being a Chinese medicine expert. I have nothing against that either, but does he think mainstream scientists go along with all his yin/yang stuff? The irony of some New Age, health food store-hopping hippie who constantly defers to the establishment for advice…

“Anthony Colpo had an interesting take on Matesz. His diet changes along with his current wife/girlfriend. He stayed low-carb for so long to “try to save his marriage” and because of “professional interest” (i.e., it would look bad to switch back to high-carb so quickly). Now that his current wife is a vegan or almost vegan type, so is he.”

Some people write because they are interested in nutrition, exercise, anthropology, human sciences, explorers of the natural and physical world. Others write about the mind/body connection, well-being, psychology, the connection between health/food and emotional/mental states. Some people write to communicate, they write for the joy it gives in expressing themselves, in dialoguing with others. They write for the sheer hell of it because writing is like breathing to them, a necessity of life. I have always written and read voraciously both books and blogs, I watch documentaries and have what seems like an insatiable desire to learn. I journal daily because its a way of giving/getting feedback on what I am doing in my life, it gives me the impetise to challenge myself, to focus but most of all to express myself. I have always admired your honesty and courage to write, to put it all out there, to engage and your resilience to keep at it. Writers are communicators and even if no one was listening, writers have to write. I understand that need, that desire that never feels like work. We all need to have a sense of place in this world, and writing is part of that for me and I sense for you too. Its the nature of blogging on the ethernet to cause some distance sometimes even amongst the best of friends. Keep your courage up, you are a damn good writer and there is room enough for everyone out there.

Paleo… non-paleo… carbs… no carbs… whatever. Your site stands out because I get to enjoy comments like

“…So to sum it up fuck all of that shit: wall to wall, floor to ceiling….voluminously.”

Few have the balls to just come out and make such a kick ass, raw statement. And in my opinion ball-less blogs aren’t particularly interesting. You can write about rotting logs or FIRKO mice or beef stew recipes and I’ll still be reading.

Maybe some would be interested in my latest self experiment, because it seems to be exactly what Jimmy Moore wants to happen, it goes against some of the current dogma, and it has been surprisingly effective.

Goal: drop body weight from 181lb (82kg) to 165lb (75kg), so I can record my Concept2 rowing times as a lightweight rather than a heavyweight (75kg is the cutoff). I am 6′ tall, and was about 19% body fat at the starting weight.

I have been eating unmeasured primal for about 3 years, and had been slowly leaning toward more and more sweets (chocolate bars, rice, potatoes, rice potato & tapioca flour, dates, some table sugar). For 2 years I have been on a “busy person’s strength program” which is kind of relaxed with a lot of rest time and short workouts. I’m not a gym rat, and not a grunting intense freak. No cardio for 1 year. I have been putting on lean mass and fat during the last year. Too much fat. Estimated daily calorie intake was about 4000 to 4500.

My experiment was pretty simple.
1) I added 5 days a week of rowing short intense workouts on the C2 rower, depending on the day 6 to 20 min. These were stamina workouts, not endurance. The calorie burn was pretty minimal, around 300 for the longer workout. The intensity is through the roof however.
2) 5 days a week I cut out chocolate bars, dates, and the other sweets that had creeped into my diet. The other 2 days I still eat them.
3) I ate slightly less for big meals, like passing on 2nds. Since I don’t measure, I am guessing this means about 10%-15% less intake. My carb intake is not low carb, probably over 100g with some days over 150g.

This is the end of week 6 of the experiment, and the weight has dropped off a little over 1.5lb per week every week. I think I am probably around 3500 calories intake while burning a hundred or two extra a day on the rower. 9.5lbs lost in 6 weeks. I know this isn’t water weight because I am in full control of my water state and can easily change my weight 4 lb in any direction using hydration, and have done this in test runs (I plan to use dehydration to make weight if needed). My strength numbers have remained near my personal bests, and my power output on the rower is increasing, so I doubt I am losing lean mass.

My conclusion from this experiment is that my weight loss is due to thermodynamics, as my macronutrient ratio has not changed much, and I’m sure my blood sugar is happily spiking way just like it was before. I’m nice and warm too. Nice hot showers.

You have an interesting and engaging writing style, so good on yah for not locking yourself into one topic Rich. I for one like the political and other non-paleo posts. There’s only so many times that you can say “eat real food and avoid junk” before you run out of productive ideas.

Speaking of blogging on anything in particular, I’ve always wanted hear from more from your dad Lute. He comes across as a man of few words but maybe you could coax something out of him. I’d like to hear his perspective on your Baptist college days and how he views your anarchy/libertarian outlook on the world/life.

The problem is, I love my dad and mom and over years have toned it down to the point where we get along almost all times and I’m not willing to fuck with that.

That is, I blog about what I do and my dad stears clear, there’s a lot of reasons for that, including the fact that I don’t want to be in a position of having to defend my own dad whom I love, against someone who’s right, but crude and inflammatory like me,

What? You mean there’s someone else that posts here as “jc”??? I guess my name is only very slightly different as “Jc”, but still. Guess I should change to another nick. That, or challenge this other jc to a caged death match.

I sincerely believe we must be blood kin. I applaud you for your direction and philosophy. I only wish more folks would get over their “fear of loss” (actual fear of alienation from the collective) and express themselves with authenticity and sincerity no mater what the reward or punishment. Too many folks play patty cake; and there’s nothing worse on this planet than static ideology.

What the Paleo bloggers and the like need to be mindful of is the danger of the psychological phenomena of commitment and consistency; when an individual asserts a position especially as a blog post or any sort of written or oral expression, they are now on the “hook” for their expression and most willing to trade in objectivity and fluidity of thought for that new found comfort found within their new beloved position. Fuck that. I’d rather not give one fuck about my positions, I hold them out at arm’s length – show me a more critical and enlightened position and I will drop my position like a crack baby.

You are good for this movement; whatever the fuck this movement means or entails. It is not a Paleo movement; it is much more than that – it is creating a new market, a new market of ideas. I adore the free market of ideas.

Keep expressing yourself exactly the way you see fit (I know you will) and fuck each and everyone who doesn’t “get it”. Being yourself is the greatest filter of ALL – those who you’d want within your network or audience will get you for you and the value you bring to the table – those who don’t are usually a waste of effort and time.

It’s Paleo Magazine. Six issues a yea and they just published their sixth.

Now, as a general rule I don’t go after other Paleo people or LCers, unless:

1 they go after me first (the Colpo ethic, I guess)

2 they turn tail, like Matesz

But I might have to change this policy. Initially, I liked the idea of a Paleo mag because it’s on some new stands, etc. nice color, lots of food pics, but more and more it’s just an advertising medium for all manner of “paleo” snacks & treats. I think US Wellness has an add in there but the signal/noise ratio is awful, n my view. Needless to say, I will not be renewing my subscription.

And then, there are all the “paleo” blogs that are mere style and flash over content and substance.

I view the paleo movement as a movement to liberate the mind toward independence, individuality and freedom in a human evolutionary context.

To actually add to the theme of the post: Paleo, whether diet or lifestyle or state of mind or whatever, for me is a forge of synthesis; and synthesis is important, perhaps the most important thing ever. It’s about what works – not clinging steadfastly to something because of ideology. Because of worldview.

One of the biggest gripes I have with the . . . Paleo community is that of fitness. I’m a longtime weightlifter that has exactly zero interest in Crossfit or ‘evolutionary’ fitness, whatever that may mean. And apparently it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. The nutritional effects and biological contexts of Paleo are a scientific fact; but to say that a certain form of exercise is best for everyone is ideology, not science. By the same token, Paleo, from a nutrition perspective, has to be crafted to meet the needs and goals of the individual. I eat 10 eggs a day. Why would a powerwalking soccer mom need to eat 10 eggs a day? By the same token, why would that same powerwalking soccer mom need to engage in WODs and poods? Because some fat former gymnast says so?

So in order for Paleo, and Paleo enthusiasts in particular, to grow, we’re going to have to keep in mind that this whole thing isn’t a brand; it is even a stretch to call it a lifestyle, unless that lifestyle is one of synthesis, experimentation and conversation. If Paleo is strictly about implementing something from halcyon days, then why the Internet? Isn’t this an icon of modernity, a critical piece in the infrastructure of humanity’s downfall and enslavement?

I suppose it’s the difference between eating and living Paleo, if you will. All movements will have extremists. For me, I’m content to say that my diet is based off of the idea that we should eat what our Paleolithic ancestors did – because it is the end of that era when the shit hits the fan. Eating like a caveman doesn’t somehow translate to me living in a tree and harvesting my own coconuts.

FYI, the NY Times put up the 6 semi-finalists to the ethics of meat-eating contest. Alas, you did not make it. Four of them are pretty good, and the other two are written by vegetarians basically saying that meat eating may be ethical but you’re still a fucking douche for eating it, or something to that effect.

In the end, I did not enter what I wrote. The reason is because of the flawed question or premise. My position is that it’s not unethical to eat animals. I’m open to the proposition that causing suffering that’s within our ability in the context of history and technology to prevent could be unethical, but that’s not whats being asked.

What would be the bestest possible Paleo product? Imo a line of Paleo frozen dinners from a subsidiary of Lean Cuisine. Takes all the stress and wasted time out of preparing a healthy Paleo dinner for your family.

Not sure how serious you are, but I’ve given this some thought – how about grass-fed/pastured animals cooked sous vide with a sauce or marinade, then frozen and shipped to customers who would only need to heat a pot of water to ~120-140 degrees to rethermalize for 15-30 minutes and have perfectly cooked meat. One could do the same with vegetables as well.

There must be a flaw to this business model that I’m not seeing – too expensive perhaps, or food safety issues?

My problem is not with the idea of some convenience and technology in the mix, it when I see that as the primary direction. I think the ideal and emphasis should be on getting your own food and cooking it at home and eating as a family. The whole integration.

“Takes all the stress and wasted time out of preparing a healthy Paleo dinner for your family.”

I can’t tell if this statement is meant to be ironic or serious, but I am seeing that attitude expressed more frequently as paleo goes more mainstream. And it indicates that the paleo movement is close to jumping the shark.

I am reminded of some investment advice I got a while back, which is basically: when the mainstream jumps on an investment idea, sell. Now, a paleo lifestyle is not something I’m going to leave, but – like others – I may have to leave the label behind as it starts to become a marketing term instead of a lifestyle concept.

I saw the same thing happen with low carb when it became a “fad.” One thing I will always be grateful for, from my low carb days, is heightening my awareness of what I was eating, as opposed to just how much of it. In addition to cutting down on carbs, Atkins admonished his readers to also cut out hydrogenated oils and some artificial sweeteners, like aspartame. Suddenly I was checking food labels for ingredient lists instead of just macronutrient content. It made me laugh at ludicrous products like Better’n Peanut Butter, with its inch-long ingredient list of processed additives that made it “healthier” than a product that was made of “roasted peanuts and salt.” That kind of thinking led me to paleo/primal living.

Paleo is (was?) a concept, not a brand, not an ingredient list, and not shorthand for gluten and/or dairy free. The latter is what the food industry wants it to be, because they can make their crap without gluten, and simply use a whole bunch of other potentially toxic crap to make the same foods palatable. They did the same thing with maltitol, which made products sugar free and “low carb,” but also caused diarrhea.

You may or may not have seen the report on the gorillas in the zoo whose health improved when they were taken off their diet of standard-issue gorilla food pellets. The which were high in sugar and other processed crap, but met all the “nutritional requirements” for gorillas, but was giving them heart disease and making them lethargic. Their health and energy improved when they were given whole foods more like what they would eat in the wild: fresh leafy vegetables and fruit. Sound familiar?

A “healthy Paleo frozen dinner by Lean Cuisine” is contradictory. Frozen dinners are the equivalent to food pellets for zoo humans. I’m looking at my copy of Paleo Magazine and I see an ad for “Paleo Coffee Creamer” – which is an oxymoron. Paleo creamer is called “cream” – preferably raw from 100% grass-fed cows. The act of sourcing fresh, quality ingredients, “wasting time” by preparing them properly, and enjoying them with good company is what makes the meal Paleo, not just its gluten/dairy content. Paleo is about changing our attitudes about our food – its quality and preparation – and our lifestyles. I think Richard’s point is that it is also about changing our mindsets towards life in general. That is, breaking away from the mindset of civilization – aka, the zoo. In other words, free the animal.

Again, Paleo is a concept. When we start looking for Paleo in convenient, processed, pre-packaged containers — so that we can continue being zoo humans eating their food pellets — the concept is dead.

“Ron Paul and his son should go seek honest work, like they used to do.” and “fuck Ron Paul,” – such stupid comments. Ron Paul is only in politics to wake people up to our totalitarian government. And he’s doing a good job of it.

Because of him, like minded, good people are getting involved at the local level to hopefully take back our country.

I just shot two wood pigeons that I will soon remove the breasts from before simmering in a pan with a touch of lard that came from my friends farm up the road. Said lard is from grass fed heritage breed herefordshire cattle. Said breasts will benefit from the last of last seasons chopped leak and shallots from my wife’s hard working vegetable garden. How the hell do you put that in a packet, freeze it, brand it and mass produce? God knows what I’ll shoot tomorrow, whatever it is it will be paleo, the whole paleo and nothing but the paleo.

Dark meat, not unlike steak albeit with a slightly more gamey taste. Fortunately it’s about the fifth most populous bird in the UK. In a restaurant it’s going to run you $25.00 – 30.00. So for the sake of a 12 gauge shell and a little fresh air it’s about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. Cheers

It’s your fault. I was blindly in the “primal fixed my metabolism so I can eat as much as I want” camp. Eat the right food and your body takes care of the rest. One of your posts said we are on our own, I didn’t like my slow weight gain, so I made a change that many would say I shouldn’t have to make: reduce calories.

The weight dropped off in a steady straight line for 7 weeks, from day 1 to now. I didn’t start with a broken metabolism, or a non-food diet. I didn’t starve myself. I didn’t go LC. This was 80% calories in, calories out, with the rest being an reduction of non-primal but still real food. This method of weight loss is not what the paleo and LC movement is promoting but damn this is the most effective and easiest loss I’ve ever had. Maybe that wouldn’t work for Jimmy Moore but I see Evelyn’s arguments much more clearly now. As abrasive as her criticisms are, some points are valid. Given a solid primal foundation, calories-in calories-out has been extremely effective.